Food packaging insert

ABSTRACT

A continuous web of food packaging inserts. The web includes a continuous base layer, a plurality of promotional items spaced along the length of the base layer, and an overlaminate overlying both the base layer and the promotional items. The overlaminate is sealed to the base layer around each of the promotional items. The web is perforated between adjacent promotional items to define the food packaging inserts between the perforations.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to food packing inserts, and more particularly to food packaging inserts including promotional items.

[0002] The inclusion of promotional items in conjunction with packaged food is widespread. For example, the promotional item might be a coupon or a game piece. Typically, the promotional item is secured to the outside of the food package. Examples of techniques for attaching promotional items to packages are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 6,129,959 issued Oct. 10, 2000 to Mercer et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,743 issued Jul. 7, 1992 to Miller et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,935 issued Jul. 30, 1991 to Thomas et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,712 issued Jun. 27, 1989 to Roou; U.S. Pat. No. 4,359,358 issued Nov. 16, 1982 to Hattemer; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,281,762 issued Aug. 4, 1981 to Hattemer.

[0003] Unfortunately, placing the promotional item on the exterior of the package subjects the items to pilferage within the store without purchase of the food package. Exterior placement also eliminates some of the secrecy or surprise desire for certain applications, such as consumer contests and games.

[0004] It also is known to place promotional items inside the food package (with the food contents of the package). Perhaps the best known examples of this technique is Cracker Jack® candy and its “prize in every box”. The materials placed within a food package must be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States, and by other agencies in many other countries. Consequently, the materials used for the promotional item or, more likely, a pouch within which the item is sealed are quite limited. Also, there is a very practical difficulty in depositing individual discrete items into the food packages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The aforementioned problems are overcome in the present invention comprising a continuous web of food packaging inserts. The web includes a base layer, a promotional item, and an overlaminate overlying both the base layer and the promotional item. The overlaminate is sealed to the base layer around each of the promotional items. A perforation or other line of weakening is formed in the continuous web between adjacent promotional items to define the packaging inserts therebetween. The base layer and the overlaminate are fabricated of materials approved by the FDA for food contact. Consequently, the promotional item sealed between those layers may be fabricated of a wide variety of materials.

[0006] The present invention provides a plurality of packaging inserts in a continuous web that is easily handled by insertion equipment. The individual inserts can be sequentially separated from the web along the perforations and deposited sequentially into food packages moving in a production environment. The web has no waste, such as a carrier sheet, so all materials are efficiently used.

[0007] These and other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by reference to the detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008]FIG. 1 is a perspective view, broken at its opposite ends to show indeterminate length, of the continuous web of food packaging inserts of the present invention;

[0009]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a single food packaging insert with the components partially separated from one another for clarity;

[0010]FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2; and

[0011]FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the food packaging inserts being deposited into food packages.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0012] A continuous web of food packaging inserts constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4 and generally designated 10. The continuous web includes a plurality of individual food packaging inserts 12 separated by perforations 40. An individual insert 12 is more fully illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, and includes a base layer 13, a promotional item 14, and an overlaminate 16.

[0013] The base layer 12 can be any material meeting the requirements for direct contact with food as established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or a corresponding approval body in foreign countries. In one embodiment, the base layer is a two-mil transparent polyester. However, a wide variety of suitable materials may be used. Suitable materials are not limited to either polyester or transparent materials.

[0014] The promotional item 14 can be virtually any item now known or later developed. As disclosed, the promotional item 14 is a folded paper (sometimes referred to as an expanded content device) such as a game piece or product coupon. Alternatively, the promotional piece might be a tattoo, an unfolded coupon, a sticker, a label, a scratch-and-sniff item, a scratch-off game, a collector card, or a product sample. Again, the possibilities for specific promotional items are virtually limitless. Optionally, the item 14 is adhered to the base layer 13 using an adhesive 15 (FIG. 3).

[0015] The laminate or overlaminate 16 also is a material meeting the requirements for direct food contact as established by the FDA or corresponding approving body. In the disclosed embodiment, the overlaminate is a polyester or polypropylene transparent heat laminate. As with the base layer, the overlaminate can be fabricated of a wide variety of materials. Suitable materials are not limited to those that are polyester, polypropylene and/or transparent.

[0016] The overlaminate 16 is sealed to the base layer 13 in a perimeter area 30 surrounding each promotional item. The seal is preferably continuous so that the promotional item 14 is fully sealed between the base layer 13 and the overlaminate 16. The base layer 13 and the overlaminate 16 include a marginal portion 32 along one edge at which the two components are not sealed to each other. The marginal portion 32 provides an area in which the overlaminate may be easily separated from the base layer 13 so that a user may grasp the overlaminate and peal the overlaminate from the base layer (as partially illustrated in FIG. 2).

[0017] The base layer 13 and the overlaminate 16 include perforations between adjacent items 14 to define the inserts 12 therebetween. The perforations could be any line or area of weakening that permits the inserts to be separated from one another.

Manufacture and Use

[0018] The packaging inserts 12 are fabricated in a continuous web 10 using conventional techniques. The promotional items 14 are placed on the continuous base layer 13 at spaced locations, and preferably regularly spaced locations. Optionally, the adhesive 15 is used to secure the items 14 to the base layer 13. The continuous overlaminate 16 is then brought down over the base layer 13 and the promotional items 14 and specifically in engagement therewith. The overlaminate 16 is heat sealed to the base layer 13 in the peripheral portions 30 to seal the promotional items 14 between the base layer and the overlaminate. The continuous web 10 is then perforated along lines 40 to define the packaging inserts 12 therebetween. As a final manufacturing step, the web 10 is wound into a coil 50 (FIG. 4) or fan folded (not shown).

[0019] The packaging inserts 12 of the present invention can be used in a food packaging line so that each packaging insert 12 is inserted into a food package. This technique is disclosed in FIG. 4 in which a plurality of food packages P are shown being transported on a conveyor C. The food packaging inserts 12 are drawn from the continuous web 10. As each food package P passes below the separating equipment E, a packaging insert 12 is separated from the web 10 along the associated perforation 40; and the insert is deposited or otherwise placed into the food package. As an alternative to depositing one insert in each package, it is possible to deposit multiple inserts in each package; to deposit a varying number of inserts in each package; or to deposit the inserts only into selected (but not all) packages.

[0020] The present invention results in distinct advantages. First, the continuous web of inserts approved for direct food contact provides an improved product at reduced cost. Second, the continuous web produces virtually no waste because the inserts are positioned adjacent one another (wand without a carrier sheet) on the web.

[0021] The above description is that of a preferred embodiment of the invention. Various alterations and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and broader aspects of the invention as defined in the appended claims, which are to be interpreted in accordance with the principles of patent law, including the Doctrine of Equivalents. 

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
 1. A continuous web of food packaging inserts comprising: a continuous base layer fabricated of a material suitable for food contact; a plurality of promotional items on said base layer at spaced locations; and a continuous laminate fabricated of a material suitable for food contact, said laminate adhered to said base layer around each of said promotional items whereby each of said promotional items is sealed between said base layer and said laminate, said base layer and said laminate defining lines of weakening between said spaced inserts to define said food packaging inserts between said lines of weakening.
 2. A continuous web of food packaging inserts as defined in claim 1 wherein said promotional items are at least one of coupons, game pieces, expanded content devices, tattoo materials, stickers, collectable cards, and scented items.
 3. A continuous web of food packaging inserts as defined in claim 1 wherein said base layer and said laminate include a margin portion at which said base layer and said laminate are free of one another.
 4. A continuous web of food packaging inserts as defined in claim 3 wherein at least one of said base layer and said laminate are transparent.
 5. A continuous web of food packaging inserts as defined in claim 1 wherein said laminate is heat sealed to said base layer.
 6. A continuous web of food packaging inserts as defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of said base layer and said laminate are fabricated of a polyester.
 7. A continuous web of food packaging inserts comprising: a continuous polyester base layer fabricated of a material meeting FDA requirements for food contact; a plurality of promotional items adhered to said base layer at spaced locations; a continuous overlaminate fabricated of a material meeting FDA requirements for food contact, said overlaminate being positioned over said base layer and said promotional items, said overlaminate being heat laminated to said base layer fully around each of said promotional items, whereby said promotional items are sealed between said base layer and said overlaminate, said overlaminate and said base layer including a marginal portion in which said overlaminate and said base layer are free of one another, said base layer and said overlaminate being perforated between adjacent promotional items to define said food packaging inserts therebetween.
 8. A continuous web of food packaging inserts as defined in claim 7 wherein said promotional items are at least one of coupons, game pieces, expanded content devices, tattoo materials, stickers, collectable cards, and scented items.
 9. A continuous web of food packaging inserts as defined in claim 7 wherein at least one of said base and said overlaminate are transparent.
 10. A method of make a continuous web of food packaging inserts comprising the steps of: placing a plurality of promotional items at spaced locations along a continuous layer of material suitable for contact with food; placing a continuous overlaminate over the base layer and the promotional items, the overlaminate suitable for contact with food; adhering the overlaminate to the base layer around each of the promotional items, whereby each of the promotional items is sealed between the base layer and the overlaminate; and forming a line of weakening in said adhered base layer and overlaminate between adjacent promotional items to define said food packaging inserts therebetween.
 11. A method as defined in claim 10 wherein said promotional items are at least one of coupons, game pieces, expanded content devices, tattoo materials, stickers, collectable cards, and scented items.
 12. A method as defined in claim 10 wherein said adhering step includes leaving a marginal portion of the base layer and said overlaminate free of one another.
 13. A method as defined in claim 10 wherein at least one of the base layer and the overlaminate are transparent.
 14. A method as defined in claim 10 wherein said adhering step includes heat sealing the overlaminate to the base layer.
 15. A method as defined in claim 10 wherein at least one of the base layer and the overlaminate is fabricated of polyester.
 16. A method as defined in claim 10 wherein the line of weakening is a perforation. 